FM Radio
by Sopherzzz
Summary: This is a Fionna and Cake fanfic in which I ship Marshall Lee and Fionna harder than Satan's butt-hole. The story functions like the show, an adventure per chapter. I think the best way to explain it is that I am writing whatever I want. Hope you like it. Rated T for mild-extreme cartoon violence.
1. Family Reunion

**Family Reunion**

"QUIT CHEATING, MARSHALL."

Fionna glared at her friend as she frantically pushed the red button on her controller, trying to maneuver her character away from his. He grinned, sticking his tongue out.

"Just because I'm winning doesn't mean I'm cheating."

The blue character on the screen leaped above the red one and preformed a finishing kick to the face. A large blinking 'WINNER' sign appeared over the blue character's head. Fionna leapt to her feet triumphantly, pointing at Marshall as he stared open mouthed at the screen.

"HA! Even when you cheat you can't beat me!" She folded her arms, a smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Say it."

"But…but how did you do that?!"

"Say it, Marshall."

"You hacked the game didn't you?"

"You have to say it, that was the deal."

"A-MO, did you cheat?"

The small pink video game console shook its head.

"Say it."

Marshall looked back up at Fionna and sighed in defeat. He closed his eyes, fighting a smile as he knelt on the ground with one hand placed over his heart. The other hand he reached out towards Fionna, linking their pinky fingers together, as was custom for an unbreakable vow.

"I, Marshall Lee, Vampire King, ruler of thirteen realms in the Nightosphere, swear to do whatever Fionna the human wants for one whole day of her choosing."

He peeked hopefully out of one eye at Fionna, who shook her head smugly.

"Say it right."

He closed his eye, groaning dramatically.

"Fine. I, Marshall Lee, swear to do whatever Fionna, the most incredible ninja slayer and monster fighter in all of Aaa, who has the reflexes of a cheetah and the strength of a lion, and just so happens to be able to kick my butt not only at video games but also in real life, wants for an entire day of her choosing."

He glanced up at her and she nodded in approval. They let go of each other's pinky fingers and Marshall felt his cold heart beat, one time. He winced and clutched at his chest, the unfamiliar feeling of his heartbeat sending cold shivers through his body.

"You okay?"

He grinned at Fionna's concern, lifting his feet off the ground and floating on his stomach next to her.

"Never better. Just a little side effect of the unbreakable vow."

She smiled in relief.

"You mean a pinky swear."

Marshall rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." He turned onto his back and floated around her aimlessly as she picked up A-MO and the controllers.

"So when do you want to do this thing?"

Fionna shrugged thoughtfully.

"I dunno. I want to save it for when I need it. Like if I'm fighting an angry Trollclopse or trying to get through a dungeon or something."

Marshall nodded in agreement.

"You should definitely save it for something important. It's not every century a vampire makes an unbreakable vow."

"Pinky swear."

"Whatever. Anyways, it basically NEVER happens. So save it. Oh! Here…"

Marshall dug through his pockets, pulling out a small whistle on a chain.

"Take this. When you want the 24 hours to start, blow into it and I'll be there."

He draped it over her head and around her neck. She examined it closely.

"But what if I'm trying to be stealthy but I need your help? I don't want to use this and blow my cover or something."

Marshall stuck his tongue out playfully, "Only I can hear it. I got me these craaaazy vampire ears. Not even Cake can hear that whistle. Once you start the 24 hours, I have to do whatever you want, no matter what."

Fionna grinned and punched his shoulder playfully.

"You better be ready. I do some pretty dangerous stuff."

Marshall smirked, floating above her and tugging her bunny ears. "I'm sure it's nothing I can't handle."

She laughed and swatted him away.

"Oh! Right, I forgot to tell you earlier," Marshall said as he floated to the ground in front of Fionna, "I have to go to the Nightosphere for a bit, but I should be back in a few days."

"What're you going there for?" Fionna asked curiously, tilting her head back as Marshall began to float again.

His expression darkened. "I need to go clear the water with my mom. She's flippin crazy mad that I broke up with Ashley." He shook his head, irritated. "I've gotta make sure she isn't going nuts with her power over there. If she wanted, she could mess up the balance of the universe." He threw his hands up to emphasize his point. Fionna nodded.

"Does she still hate me for… you know…"

"Stabbing her in the face and releasing the souls she collected? Yes."

Marshall noticed her sullen face. He grinned holding out his palm.

"Well I thought it was pretty great. Some people just have no sense of humor."

Fionna smiled back, low fiving Marshall as he turned upside-down, dangling his arms lazily.

"So when I get back we'll talk about that deal, Alright?"

"Definitely."

"Cool. You need a ride back to the tree house?"

Fionna shook her head. "Actually, Gumball needed me for something, so I was going to head over there."

Marshall rolled his eyes, flipping over again and resting his head on his hands.

"What're you hanging out with that dweeb for?"

Fionna frowned, blushing slightly.

"He's not a dweeb, he's cool. You just have to get to know him, you know?"

Marshall groaned holding his hands out.

"Come on, I'll take you over to Goody-Good Castle."

Fionna stuffed A-MO into her backpack and took his hands. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as he lifted her off the ground and they began to fly higher and higher. Marshall grinned down at her.

"Having fun down there?"

Fionna looked up at him laughing.

"You're so lucky you get to do this all the time!"

Marshall sighed happily, looking around at the scenery.

"Yeah, it's pretty great."

Suddenly struck with an idea, Marshall smirked down at Fionna.

"Oops!" He said, and he let go of her hands. She screamed and tried to grab his shirt, but he dodged around her. He flew down next to her as she fell, covering his ears to shield them from her screaming.

"DING GLOBBIT MARSHALL YOU BETTER CATCH ME RIGHT NOW!"

Marshall shrugged innocently.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU. YOU NEED TO ENUNCIATE. USE YOUR VOWELS."

"URRRAAAAAARRRGHHH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOOOOU!"

Fionna looked down and shrieked again. The ground was spiraling closer and closer. Deciding she'd had enough, Marshall swooped underneath her. She landed on his back and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Once they were safely in the air again, she angrily brought her fist down on his head.

"Ow! What the heck? I caught you didn't I?

"You shouldn't have dropped me in the first place, stupid!"

He laughed, "You shouldn't worry so much, it's not like I was going to let you fall to your death."

"Thank glob we're here."

The Candy Kingdom was just below them and Marshall Lee lowered her safely to the entrance.

"Right. So I'm going to head off before Bubba Gum shows up to greet you."

Marshall opened his arms for a goodbye hug, flashing a toothy grin.

"Sorry I dropped you?"

Fionna folded her arms, fighting back a smile.

"You're not going to get off that easy."

Marshall rolled his eyes.

"You can get back at me all you want when I get back from the Nightosphere."

Fionna wrapped her arms around him, hiding her smile in his shirt. He hugged her back, hoping she wouldn't notice the dark grey on his cheeks.

"Thanks for the lift, bro."

"No probs homie."

She watched as he turned and flew off, biting the sleeve of his red shirt as he did. She smiled and turned towards the gate. To her surprise, the large rock candy entrance was shut tight. She turned around and lifted a hand, about to call out for Marshall, but he was nowhere to be seen. Putting her hands on her hips, Fionna tried to think of another way in. She decided to walk around the city walls and see if there was another gate. If she was lucky, the candy wall guards might be on duty, and she would be able to ask for help. She circled the castle walls a few times and discovered that there was indeed, no other way in. Also, there wasn't a soul guarding the walls. Sighing, she plopped on the ground just when she had finished her third circle. The sun was sinking low into the sky. As darkness enveloped her, Fionna began to shiver. She stood and stretched. The hours of sitting there had made her stiff and weary.

_"I should get back to the tree house. Gumball is probably busy with something important. I'll just come back tomorrow and see what he-"_

"There you are Fionna!"

She turned around to see Prince Gumball jogging over towards her. When he reached the gate, he pulled a lever and the sweet spears of candy began to rise. Fionna's smile of relief upon his appearance quickly turned to a frown as she got a closer look at him. His pink hair was almost as messy as Marshalls and his eyes drooped with weariness. He obviously hadn't been sleeping.

"I need your help. It's VERY important." Fionna nodded and followed him as he headed to the castle. Looking around, she noticed that none of the candy people were out in the streets.

"Hey Gumball, where is everyone?"

He glanced over at her, his expression grave.

"Everything will make sense when we get to the castle."

They rounded a corner and Fionna gasped at the sight of the Castle. The sweet caramel stairs were melting into glob-like shapes before their eyes. The candy cane pillars had been crushed to rubble, and the gates looked like they had been blown wide open. Gumball grabbed her arm, pulling her inside a candy house. He turned to her, sighing sadly.

"It seems it has gotten worse in my absence."

"What's going on? Who destroyed the castle?"

"I'm not sure what it was. It came from a portal and started sucking the souls of all the candy citizens."

Fionna's heart dropped in her stomach.

"What did it look like?"

Prince Gumball pressed a finger to his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, let's see. It was enormous, almost the size of the castle itself, and it had these two slanted eyes and a snake like tongue, and it had a big red axe on it's back." He motioned with his arms to better describe the size, but Fionna wasn't paying attention.

"It's Marshall."

"…What?"

"Something happened to Marshall."

Prince Gumball shook his head.

"That's not possible. The only way he could have turned into_ that_ is if he went back into the Nightosphere."

Fionna swallowed nervously.

"Uh, say, hypothetically, he did go back to the Nightosphere. How would he have turned into…_that_?"

Prince Gumball sat down and motioned for Fionna to do the same. He crossed his legs and began to explain.

"Marshall's mother has wanted him to take the throne for centuries. Lately, her powers have been extremely weak since you released the souls that she used to draw power from, so now more than ever, she wants her son to step up and take her place." Gumball shook his head. "Marshall, however, wants nothing to do with the throne. He and his Mom have… problems."

Fionna nodded, understanding.

"That's why he left the Nightosphere, because his mom has no authority over him outside of her realm. But if he were to go back, and she somehow got him to wear the vampire ring, which contains the ultimate soul of the universe, He would be transformed into a monster. However, since Marshall hasn't left Aaa, it must be his mother doing this."

Fionna bit her lip, playing with her skirt.

"So, is there any way to reverse it?"

Prince Gumball nodded.

"That's where you come in. If you can get the ring off of her, her power will disappear." He sighed, crestfallen, "But she's already stolen the souls of so many candy people. Her original powers must be completely restored by now. I couldn't possibly put you in that sort of danger."

"Pffftt."

Fionna stood, placing her hands on her hips. Her reassuring smile felt strange on her face.

"I can handle anything, don't worry about me. I'll have that ring off before you can say… uh, Nightosphere!"

She waved her arms in the air, trying to make it sound impressive. Prince Gumball pursed his lips.

"That wasn't very creative."

Fionna's face flushed.

"Whatever man. Now where is Marshall, uh...'s mom?"

Gumball looked out the window cautiously.

"I last left her inside the castle ballroom. She's probably made it to the laboratory by now…" Gumball patted his face worriedly. "I hope she hasn't spilled any chemicals. If they mix, it could be catastrophic."

Fionna pushed the door open, drawing her crystal sword. "Get the ring, don't mix chemicals. Got it." And before Gumball could stop her, she was making her way to the candy castle.

She ran until she reached the melting stairs.

"I sure wish Cake were here," she thought aloud. Struck with an idea, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a golden wristband.

"Yeah! Power band!" She slipped it around her wrist and ran around the dilapidated caramel to the sugar coated walls. Releasing a battle cry, she slammed her fist into the wall. Her punch blasted through the candy and she stepped into the castle, looking around cautiously. The entrance hall seemed to be intact. Except for the giant hole in the ceiling. Fionna could hear a deep growling echo from somewhere above, and she ran for the stairs, drawing her crystal sword as she did.

"FIONNAAAAAAA"

A huge crash erupted from below her and she gasped as the steps began to crumble away. She leapt for the second floor and was just barely able to hoist herself up as the last of the stairs fell away. A low chuckling reverberated through her ears and she whipped her head around. She reached for her sword, but it was nowhere to be found.

"LOOKING FOR THIS?!" She rolled to the side just in time as her gleaming pink sword was thrust into the wall where her head had just been. She looked up and gritted her teeth. If she didn't know any better, she certainly wouldn't have been able to recognize her friend. He loomed over her, his enormous head fat with souls threatening to bring the entire castle down with one wrong move. His mouth was turned vertically and his lips were lined with rows upon rows of jagged teeth. He was wearing a business suit, much like his mothers, and he wielded his axe/bass guitar in his oversized hand.

"MARSHALL! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE CANDY PEOPLE?!"

He laughed darkly.

"Careful little bunny, they're souls are safe as long as I am. I would be more worried about your little cat if I were you."

Fionna gasped as Marshall opened his fist, revealing a very beaten and stretched out Cake.

She screamed with fury and jumped at his hand.

"GIVE ME BACK MY FRIEND!" She dug her nails into his grey flesh and clawed at him. Her face grew hot as he laughed and tossed her aside. She slammed face first into the wall and slid to the ground. She turned back to him, coughing and charged again. This time he grabbed her and brought her to his mouth. She punched his cheek as hard as she could, forgetting she had the power bracelet on. His head flew back and smashed through the castle wall. He stumbled backwards for a few seconds and, unable to regain his balance, fell to the ground with a sickening crash. Fionna wriggled out of his fist and rand over to Cake who had rolled into a gumdrop tree.

"Cake! Are you okay?"

She wrapped her arms around her friend. Cake opened her eyes groggily and muttered, "I told you… not to trust… vampires."

Fionna smiled and said, "Yeah, you told me alright."

She glanced over at Marshall who was moaning in pain, and her expression hardened.

"But Marshall needs me and I need to help him before he gets up again."

She placed Cake gently next to the tree and made her way over to the monster's hand. A dark purple jewel wrapped in a silver band encased his finger. Fionna pushed her hair out of her face and grabbed onto the ring. A shiver ran through her and she tugged as hard as she could, but even with the power band it wouldn't budge. She punched it, and the ring seemed to hiss as the force she put into it flew back into her fist. She yelled out as she felt her knuckles crack against the cool stone and she pulled away, cradling her hand. Marshall chuckled, raising his head until his eyes locked with Fionna's.

"Foolish human, only the bearer of the ring of souls has the power to remove it." He swatted at her and she dodged, glaring at him. He began to stand, pieces of buildings and candy dust cascading off of him as he rose.

A thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Oh yeah. I still get my pinky promise."

Fionna reached for her neck and yanked the whistle from her neck. She took a deep breath and blew into it.

"Fionna! What the heck are you blowin' into that broken whistle for? Stab him or something!"

Fionna turned around and yelled back to Cake, "No one can hear it but Marshall, he has to do whatever I want for 24 hours because I won a bet!"

The monster's face cringed as Fionna turned smugly back to him.

"You hear that Marshall?! We still have our deal, and I'm starting the 24 hours now, so release the souls of the candy people and take off that ring!"

"Fionna the human," The monster roared as he reached for the ring, "You have bested me this time, but mark my words, you haven't seen the last of me!" He pulled the ring off, throwing it to the ground at his feet. As soon as he did, the monster began to scream in agony as he was slowly sucked into the purple stone. As soon as he disappeared, gray globs that Fionna could only assume were souls shot out of the ring and into the sky. She sighed in relief as she picked up the purple ring, stuffing it in her pocket. Looking around, she spotted a mop of black hair poking out amongst the rubble. She ran over to it and smiled in relief. Besides his clothes being torn slightly, the dark circles under his eyes, and his lack of conscious-ness, Marshall looked fine. She knelt down and patted his face gently.

"Hey bro, time to wake up. You're okay now."

He groaned and rolled over onto her lap, snuggling into her skirt as he slept. She laughed nervously as her face began to grow red.

"Marshall Lee, I have to pee, so get off me…" she sang as she patted him harder until he opened one eye and scowled.

"What does a guy have to do around here to get some shut e-" His mouth fell open as he sat up and looked around. He turned to Fionna, eyes wide in surprise.

"Fionna! What are you doing here? What am _I_ doing here? Did uh, I do this?"

She grinned and punched his arm playfully.

"Yeah, you went crazy and tried to kill everyone. So I punched you and made you take your ring off." She pulled the ring out of her pocket to prove it to him. Anger flashed across his face as he realized what had happened.

"Okay, that's the last time I try to have a normal conversation with her." He caught the expression on Fionna's face and clarified, "My mom."

Fionna nodded. "You should go home and get some sleep. Actually, that's what I want you to do for the rest of the 24 hours. Oh, and you're not allowed to go to the Nightosphere under any circumstances."

Marshall opened his mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off.

"That's okay, don't worry about me, I'm totally fine. Not like I got squished by a monster then thrown into a tree or anything." Cake stretched protectively around Fionna's shoulders. She hissed at Marshall, who grinned and stuck his tongue out.

"I DON'T TRUST YOU, BOY."

He winked at Fionna and began to float, assessing the damage he made.

"Wow, this is going to be a pain to clean up."

He made the devil horns with his fingers and grinned.

"Tell Gummy Balls I said good luck!" And with that, he flew away, disappearing into the clouds.

Fionna folded her arms and rolled her eyes.

"He could have at least said thank you."


	2. Her Greatest Fear

**Her Greatest Fear**

**Quick note: Because the Lich King is **_**not**_** funny his gender will remain unchanged. **

"What is the purpose of this hat?"

Fionna snatched her bunny hood off of Marshall's head and shoved it back on her own.

"It's my hat and I like it. It keeps my hair out of the way."

He reached over and tugged on her side bangs, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Seriously, it doesn't do anything. You'd be better off wearing a Viking helmet." She swatted his hand in irritation and returned to her meditating position; her legs crossed, her hands on her knees, and her fingers shaping O's. Marshall sighed.

"I should have figured you would use the last few hours of the deal for something ridiculous like this."

They were floating at least three hundred feet in the air, Marshall on his back and Fionna sitting cross-legged on his stomach. The sun had not yet risen but the moon was nowhere to be found. Marshall stretched his arms over his head as they drifted through the sky.

"C'mon Fi, stop ignoring me and let's do something fun! We could dye Gumball's hair green. Or black…"

Fionna opened one eye and peered at Marshall.

"Would you be quiet? You're ruining the moment."

Marshall rolled his eyes, scowling.

"There is no moment to ruin. It's five o' something in the morning and there's nothing to see. We are in a cloud."

He gestured at the fog surrounding them. Fionna sighed, opening her eyes and holding her hands out to catch the vapor, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Oh there will be something to see. I just hope it's as mathematical up here as it is on the ground."

The cool moisture of the cloud soothed Marshall into silence as the two floated aimlessly through the sky. Fionna let her legs dangle and placed one hand absentmindedly on Marshall's chest and the other on his leg as she looked around. Marshall felt his cheeks grow warm at her touch. He bent his head back so she couldn't see him blush. Her hands were so warm… Marshall hesitantly closed his eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing. Whatever she wanted to show him could in no way compare to this moment... He felt her gasp suddenly and the warmth disappeared. A wave of disappointment fell over him as he lifted his head to see what she was pointing at.

A small ray of light pierced the fog. Then another, and another, and the light began to dance around them like fireflies. Fionna glanced down at Marshall's face. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were wide in amazement. She grinned, looking around. The lights were getting brighter as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. It was the most beautiful thing either of them had ever seen. Shocks of color began to dapple the mist, from the brightest reds to the darkest blues. Fionna reached up and dipped her hand in a particularly bright shade of red. She held it up to Marshall's face as the color dripped through her fingers.

"Here, I bet you another pinky promise it'll be the best thing you ever tasted."

Marshall's head felt light as he leaned forward, his stomach doing flip-flops, as he sipped the red from her hands. The light. The light was too bright. Her hands were so sweet, so warm on his stomach. No, he couldn't see anymore. Burning… The sun was too bright. Too beautiful… overwhelming…

Thump.

"MARSHALL!"

Fionna screamed as they plummeted towards the ground.

Thump.

She reached for him, grabbing onto his shirt collar and pulling him towards her. Her heart raced as she held onto him, trying to shake him awake.

Thump.

"MARSHALL! CAN YOU HEAR ME? I NEED YOU TO WAKE UP!"

She gasped as she spotted a trickle of blood seep out of the bite marks on his neck. Tears began to spill out of her eyes as the realization hit her.

"THE SUN! OF COURSE, YOU'RE A VAMPIRE, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!"

She pulled his limp body into a hug and she cried into his chest.

"I'M SO STUPID, I'M SORRY MARSHALL!"

Thump.

She looked down and spotted Cake outside the tree house.

"CAKE! CAAAAAAAAAAYYYYUUUUUKKKKEEEE !"

She couldn't hear her, they were much too far away. They had pierced the veil of clouds now and the ground was in full view, beckoning them to their deaths. Fionna felt her stomach twist into knots and her head grow faint. She clung tighter to Marshall.

"I'm… so sorry," she whispered in between sobs. Black splotches began to cover her vision. She shut her eyes tight and let the dizzy feeling consume her.

Fionna jerked awake. She panted heavily, her heart racing as she looked around the room.

Her room.

It was only a dream. Only a dream… She sighed in relief and snuggled back into her sleeping bag.

Something didn't feel right though… She sat up and took another look around. Everything looked grey. And not the night time sort of grey, a weird grey... She got up and lit a candle, holding it up so it shone around the room. She was right. All the color was gone.

"Cake! Caaaaake! Wake up, something funky's going on!"

Her friend didn't answer. Instead, a small circular shadow began to rise up from the floor.

"Fionna, you are in grave dangerrr!"

The shadow began to take shape and formed a familiar face.

"Mint Maid!"

Fionna crouched down to her level.

"What are you doing here? What kind of danger?"

"The kind that only lives in your dreams."

Fionna thought for a moment.

"Sooo, I'm dreaming?"

"YES!" Mint Maid hissed at her in irritation, "You have somehow altered the time-space continuum and if you do not break out of your dream and return to the reality you left, everything will be destroyed."

Fionna opened her mouth to speak, but Mint Maid cut her off.

"Madam, we don't have much time left. You must travel through your dream and seek out whatever is keeping you here. Once you destroy it, you will be released and time will continue as usual."

"But-"

"NO BUTTS! Go now." Mint maid melted back into the shadows and Fionna was left alone. She sat there for a minute, thinking about what M&M said.

"But if time continues as usual, Marshall and I will be falling again…" She stood up, her expression twisted at the thought.

"And we'll…die…"

The word sounded strange as it rolled off her lips. She shook her head, fighting back the fear that rose in her throat.

"I'm not afraid of anything, not even death! Globbit, I've met Death, he's a really nice guy!"

Fionna rubbed her temples as she tried to think of a way around it.

"What if I turned myself into a parachute, then grabbed Marshall and floated down safely!"

She shook her head, "No, that's Cake's power. Darn it…"

She sighed and looked around.

"I guess I could think of something while I search my dream…"

She turned towards her bed. Lying down on her stomach, she swept her arm along the floorboards until her hand came in contact with cool metal. She pulled out a bejeweled sword and inspected it in the candlelight.

"It seems alright, besides the missing color…"

She stood up and headed to the ladder that would lead to the kitchen. Tucking her sword in between her backpack straps, she climbed down rung by rung. Oddly enough, there was no light coming out of the kitchen, and she couldn't see the bottom of the ladder. She climbed for what seemed like hours, but the walls stretched on and on and the floor was concealed by the darkness. If there even was a floor... Frustrated, Fionna pulled off one of her shoes and dropped it. Almost immediately, she heard a thump, but instead of coming from below her, it sounded from just above her head. She looked up, surprised to see that only a few feet away from her face was a trapdoor. She pushed it open and was immediately flooded with awful disco music and an array of colorful lights. Squinting, she poked her head out and looked around. Strangely enough, Tree Trunks was the only one there. He was dancing by himself in the center of the room, and he…had hair…

"Tree… Trunks…?" Fionna stammered as she pulled herself to her feet. She spotted her shoe by the trap door and slipped it on. Looking back up she gasped. Tree Trunks was now dancing with the Lich King. The small elephant was possessed, his eyes glazed over and his mouth hung open in a silent scream. The Lich turned his head to Fionna, cackling as he watched her tremble under his gaze.

"NO. I'm not afraid of ANYTHING. This is MY dream Lich, GET YOUR OWN!"

The Lich King continued to laugh and Fionna angrily drew her sword, her heart pounding in her chest.

"GET AWAY FROM TREE TRUNKS, YOU FIEND!"

She charged at the Lich, her knuckles white from the death grip she had on her weapon, and swung at him. His head disappeared just before her sword could slice it off and was replaced but Marshall Lee's. Fionna gasped and tried to pull back, but it was too late. She felt the steel dig into his flesh and she heard him cry out in pain.

"No! Marshall! I'm sorry, you were… I can fix this!"

She struggled to pull it out, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. The blade wouldn't budge. The sound of Marshall's groans clawed at her ears as she struggled to save him. Suddenly, the sword began to sink further into his skin, almost like it was being absorbed. Marshall's heart-wrenching cries turned into demonic laughter, and his face melted away as Fionna's sword disappeared into his neck. She gasped and leapt back, watching in horror as the face of the Lich King returned.

"Careful little bunny, your souls are safe as long as I am."

He cackled again and disappeared in a puff of smoke. His words echoed in her mind, they were so familiar…

She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Tree Trunks, are yo-"

She stopped short when she realized that her friend was gone as well. She was utterly alone. The music had ceased and the room was no longer filled with colorful lights. In fact, there was nothing. She turned around only to discover that the trap door from which she came was gone as well. She walked amidst the grey, looking around for signs of anything. She felt the tears from earlier pricking at her eye and she tilted her head back slightly to try to keep them contained.

"Madam, you've no time for tears." Mint Maid suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked much smaller this time, but Fionna was too happy at the sight of a friendly face to notice. She opened her mouth to speak, but M&M held up a hand to silence her. "Fionna the human, this dream is but a nightmare that brings your fears to light and lays them out before you. You must think past them if you ever want to escape the confounds of your mind…"

"Wait, what? Confound? Dude, I don't even know what that means…"

Mint Maid scowled impatiently.

"JUST PUNCH A HOLE IN THE WALL, OKAY?!"

As soon as she finished speaking, her mouth smudged and she melded back into the floor. Fionna turned to the nearest wall uncertainly.

"Well if M&M says I can do it…"

She pulled her fist back doubtfully and brought it full force against the wall. The hard wood shattered like glass, revealing a large pink bedroom. Fionna stepping into it, uncertain as to where she was. Almost everything was a different shade of pink, from the enormous bed that occupied most of the space, to the striped wallpaper surrounding her. Even the small mirror that hung above a rosy cabinet was tinted pink. She sat down cautiously on the bed, looking around for any signs of occupancy. The velvet carpet felt like heaven beneath her bare feet... Wait, where did her shoes go? She looked down at her toes in confusion. Shaking her head, she decided that since nothing in this dream made sense she wouldn't question it. Suddenly, her ears picked up a faint sound coming from a door to her left. She tip toed over to it and peeked through a small hole in the wood. At first all she could see was thick clouds of steam. She decided she must have found the bathroom. She was about to knock on the door when she saw someone step into her line of sight. It was Prince Gumball! And he was… Fionna gasped and jerked away from the door, her face turning bright red. She closed her eyes and frantically tried to picture something else, anything else. She heard the water turn off and she jumped, looking around for a quick hiding place. She dove under the bed just as Gumball stepped out of the bathroom.

"Oh Liiiiich!"

Fionna's jaw dropped. Gumball was friends with King Lich?! No, it couldn't be… Wait, just a dream, right. Fionna peaked at Gumball's feet, watching them pace the room.

"Yes your highness?"

Fionna cringed.

"I need you to deliver a message to everyone in Aaa. All the people in the land are invited to my Gumball Ball this Tuesday. Except Fionna."

She could practically hear the Lich's fleshy smile as he said, "Why not?"

Gumball laughed.

"Because she's tooooo young."

Rage bubbled up in Fionna's throat.

"NO! I AM NOT A KID!"

She leapt out from underneath the bed, her face red with fury and embarrassment. She swung her sword wildly hoping she'd hit the Lich, secretly hoping she'd also hit Gumball. It took a few minutes for her to realize that no one was there. She lowered her sword, panting heavily. Looking around, she spotted a broken lamp on the floor. Funny, she hadn't heard anything fall during her attack. She crept up to it and inspected it cautiously.

**This is where I lost inspiration and that's why this chapter took so long sorry I'm done continue**

"Oh my glob Fionna, you messed up my lumpin' house!"

"Lumpy Space Prince?!"

Her mouth fell open as she watched a miniature LSP bloom like a flower out of a piece of the lamp. He folded his arms and began to sass her.

"I mean, how rude can you get Fionna, I was just here minding my own lumping business and you just had to trash my new pad right after I moved the lump in! You're so selfish Fionna…"

Fionna stood up, irritated, and began to walk away.

"WHERE THE LUMP DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? COME BACK AND FIX MY HOUSE!"

She turned around, about to yell something very rude at LSP, but stopped short, her eyes growing wide in amazement. There were a million tiny Lumpy Space Princes, blooming out of the walls, the floor, and every surface in the room. They whispered as they grew, things that Fionna couldn't make out. She realized that they would probably keep growing until they crushed her. She glanced around, looking for some sort of escape. The door from where she entered was, predictably, gone. That left one small window on the far side of the room. She ran to it and tried to force it open but it wouldn't budge. The Lumpy Space Princes were grabbing at her legs now. She kicked a few of them away and pounded on the glass. The eerie whispers were getting to her head and she rammed her elbow against the window, crying out in pain and frustration. The LSPs were pushing on her back, clawing at her clothes and yanking the ears on her hood. In one last attempt at freedom, she backed up as much as she could and brought her head against the window at full force. The glass shattered and she was thrown into the open air. The throbbing pain in her head was nothing compared to the fear in her stomach. She was falling, but this time the ground was the least of her worries.

Death himself was waiting for her.

**And the inspiration has returned! Hoo-rah!**

He was only a speck from Fionna's view, but she knew without a doubt it was him. She Squeezed her eyes shut as she fell, not wanting to watch herself die.

"FIONNA. I NEED YOU TO WAKE UP."

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Mint Maid's voice. She was ever so small as she clung to Fionna's finger, a pained expression on her face.

"M&M! I'm so sorry, I failed everyone. But what am I supposed to do?"

She gestured around them. Death was getting closer and closer and there was seemingly no way she could save herself.

"Fionna, to escape your dream you have to defeat your greatest fear. Look inside yourself and determine what you fear more than anything in the world, and then-"

A pained expression flashed across Mint Maid's face and she struggled to keep talking.

"Listen, Death is- is your friend here. U-use your… hat…"

And with that, she disappeared.

Fionna pulled off her hood in confusion.

"Use my hat? What is ithat supposed to-"

Before she could finish, the bunny ears filled up with air and jerked her upwards. Barely able to hold on, she gasped as her speedy descent slowed to leisurely float. She looked up at her hat, which was now swelled to the size of a small blimp, and sighed in both surprise and relief. She was safe for now.

"Now to figure out what my greatest fear is."

She thought back to everything she had encountered in her dream. There was the Lich. He seemed to be a recurring theme. Being buried alive by LSP, loneliness, disco music, falling, rejection, being looked down on because of her age…

She bit her lip, trying not to think about what Prince Gumball said. He always said things like that… that she was too young for this, too young for that. She sighed and thought of any other fears she had. The Lich King immediately came back to her mind. She was terrified when he tried to possess Tree Trunks, and when he changed his face to Marshall Lee's. Even when PG was under his influence, she had been scared.

That must be it. The Lich was her greatest fear.

She was almost upon death now, and he wave at her to hurry up. Remembering what Mint Maid said about him being her friend, she let go of her hat and dropped the last meter or so. Death wrapped her in a warm embrace and whispered, "Good to see you again bunny."

She smiled at him hesitantly.

"Good to see you too..."

He nodded at her hat, which had fallen a few paces away. She went to pick it up and jogged back to him. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you ready to face your greatest fear?"

She nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. He handed her a small vial.

"Drink that when you're ready."

She stared at the small red liquid for a minute, then gulped it down before she could change her mind. Almost at once, she felt a rush of air and Death disappeared. The land around her disappeared as well, and before she knew it she was floating in empty space. In front of her, was the Lich King. His shameless grin looked darker than usual, and Fionna imagined that if he had lips they would not be smiling. His skin, though normally pretty nasty looking, somehow looked more cracked and disfigured than usual.

"Foolish human…"

He spat the words at her and she balled her hands into fists.

"Enough King Lich. I'm ready to take you on."

He shook his head angrily.

"Foolish, foolish human…"

"STOP SAYING THAT!"

Fionna lunged forward and punched him in the face. He hissed at her and caught her arm with a green glowing fireball. She cried out and lunged at him again, kicking him in the crotch. He doubled over in pain and she brought both fists down on his head, cracking the top of his skull. He roared and grabbed her leg, flinging her to the ground. Recovering quickly she ran around to his back and grabbed his robe. She yanked on it and he fell down with a crash, screeching at her in such an inhuman way it sent shivers down her back. She kicked the crack on his skull making it wider and wider. He howled in pain and flailed his arms as she kicked him repeatedly. He stood up again and tried to throw her of but she dropped on her belly and continued to hit him with her fist.

"I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!"

She punched him one last time and his skull split in two. His screams turned to malicious laughter and his skeletal structure began to fall apart.

"Congratulations Fionna the human, you have defeated me. But remember, this is only a dream and I am not your greatest fear."

She leapt to the ground and turned to him, confused.

"That doesn't make sense, I'm not afraid of anything more than you."

The Lich King chuckled as his body slowly began to turn to dust.

"Foolish human. You should have feared me more."

She had so many questions. For a moment, the gnawing fear in the pit of her stomach disappeared. She wanted to ask him what he meant, and what her greatest fear actually was. She was sure he knew. But before she could open her mouth he was reduced to a pile of rubble.

And before she knew it, she was falling once again.

She opened her eyes and spotted Marshall Lee falling a few feet away from her. A stab of panic tore at her gut as she realized that she had returned to reality. She reached out for him, just barely grasping his hand. Her heart was beating out of control as she looked down at the familiar, and all too close ground. Determination spreading across her face, she wrapped one arm around her friend, and pulled off her hood with the other. Holding the two straps as tight as she could she raised her fist into the air and let her hat catch the wind. They were jerked upward as they slowed to a lethargic glide, and after a few minutes, they were safely on the ground.

Fionna immediately turned her attention to Marshall. His neck was still bleeding and he was still unconscious. She shouted for Cake who had somehow taken no notice of their descent and pulled her sock off, pressing it to his bite marks to try and stop the flow of blood.

"Oh Marshall, I thought you couldn't bleed because you're a vampire. You're not supposed to die, you're supposed to be invincible. Because you're a vampire…you're supposed to live forever…"

She felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands were trembling as she pushed against his neck. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, sobbing into his shirt.

"I didn't mean to hurt you…I just wanted to show you how pretty everything is in the morning,…"

She felt a cool hand rest on hers, but she pushed it away.

"Cake, just give me a minute, okay?"

The hand returned however and she looked up, annoyed. She gasped as she saw Marshall's eyes open and a smile working its way across his face.

"What's with the waterworks? Somebody die?"

Relief hit her like a tidal wave. She wrapped her arms around him and he rested his hand weakly on her hair in a small gesture of comfort.

He was alive. He was alive and in her arms and breathing and he was alive.

And at that moment

She realized

That her greatest fear

Was certainly not the Lich King.

**Sorry if it sucks, I did not read it over after I finished. Mostly because it took way too long to write and I was impatient to get it posted. Feel free to correct any grammar mistakes.**


	3. UGLY Part 1

**Sorry for the extraordinary delay on this one, school was very much in the way. I won't have to worry about it anymore though because graduation! **** But I really am sorry. I know what it's like to be reading a story that never updates and it sucks and I'm sorry (again) but I'll try to change that. This is part 1 of a 3 part adventure. Mostly fluff stuff in the first chapter, but enjoy anyways ;)**

UGLY

"This is ridiculous, Cake."

"Hold still girl, or I'll stab you with my needle!"

Fionna looked down at her friend in shock. Cake clicked her tongue and winked.

"Or I'll stab you with my needle, _by accident._"

Fionna rolled her eyes but heeded Cake's warning/threat and stood as still as she could while her cat made the final adjustments to the dress.

"Mmm, you are going to look so gorgeous in this!"

Fionna scowled in response.

"I told you I'm not wearing it anywhere, I'm only doing this to help you finish it." She placed her fist on her heart and closed her eyes dramatically.

"The ultimate best friend sacrifice."

Cake grinned slyly.

"Well if you don't wear_ this_, what do you plan to wear to Gumball's birthday party?"

Fionna frowned, blushing in spite of herself.

"I was just going to wear what I normally do…"

Cake shook her head in disapproval.

"Girl, if you want to get you some Gumball, you need to look oh so spice!"

Fionna blushed harder and puffed out her cheeks to hide her embarrassment.

"Are you done yet? There are monsters to slay and villains to nosh… with justice!"

Before Cake could answer, they heard a knock echo downstairs. Cake stretched her face to the window to check who it was. She hissed and flattened her ears, turning to Fionna.

"Did YOU invite vampire guy over here?!"

Fionna stepped over to the window and looked out, confused.

"No. I wonder why he's using the front door. He usually just breaks a hole in the roof."

Ignoring Cake's protests, Fionna hurried down the ladder. It was only after she opened the door and saw Marshall's bored expression turn into shock did she realize she was still wearing the dress. His cheeks inflated as he struggled to contain his laughter.

"Uh- you look…uhm…"

Her face turned bright red and she slammed the door in his face before he could sneak in another word and ran back to her room while his guffaws echoed behind her.

Slamming the door loudly behind her, she yanked the soft pink fabric over her head and tossed it aside. She pulled on her regular blue skirt and shirt combo and slipped her bunny hood over her head. She checked the small mirror hanging by her bedside and groaned at the sight of her flushed cheeks and tousled hair.

"Alright, calm down, I'm sorry I laughed at you," Marshall said as he stuck his head through a hole in the ceiling where he had broken in a few days ago. Fionna ignored him and snatched her backpack off the floor. He floated down as she paced around the room, picking up various items and sticking them purposefully into her bag. Marshall rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't laughing at _you_, I was laughing at dress. _You_ looked fine, it's just…how do I put this…" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Fionna swallowed, a feeling of nervousness cascading over her. He grinned sheepishly at her.

"So don't take this the wrong way, but pink isn't your best color."

Fionna scowled at him and he held up his hands in response.

"Hey, I'm just being honest."

He picked up the discarded dress and held it up for closer examination.

"The entire thing is one big frill… Why were you wearing it anyways?"

Fionna groaned again, folding her arms.

"Cake wanted me to wear it to Gumball's Birthday Ball."

"It's his birthday? How old is he turning?"

Fionna opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by a loud hiss erupting from the doorway.

"Did you bust a hole in the ceiling again vampire boy?!"

Marshall shrugged and, successfully ignoring Cake, turned to Fionna. She felt her face turning red again as he inspected her, his face seemed to be filled with intense thought.

"Wh-what are you doing?" She asked, flustered, as he held his thumb up as if to measure her.

"Yeah, that could work…" Marshall shook his head and grinned playfully. "Okay Fionna, you're officially being kidnapped. I'm going to make you the perfect dress for the dumb party thing." He grabbed her wrist and before she could protest pulled her into the air. "We have a date with FASHION!" He yelled dramatically as he floated back through the decimated ceiling. Cake hissed angrily and began to stretch her arms to grab them, but she hesitated when she heard Fionna laugh. She couldn't help but smile at the sound and shook her head, retreating her arms.

"I see what's going on here." She put on her angry face again and yelled up to them, "YOU HAVE HER AT GUMBALL'S PARTY AT TEN, YOU HEAR ME FLYING FREAK?"

She saw Marshall turn his head slightly and their eyes met. He winked and stuck his tongue out, reaching for Fionna's other hand as he did. Cake waved, unable to stop the smile from forming on her lips.

"Have fun baby-girl."

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?"

Fionna watched as they passed over the entrance to Marshall's cave. He glanced around as if just realizing where they were.

"We're hittin up the Ice Kingdom first. I'll need some materials you can only get from the Ice Queen herself. She owes me a solid so she has to help us out, whether she wants to or not."

"No way!" Fionna protested, "I don't want any help from that hag!"

Marshall raised his eyebrows, looking down at her.

"Language, language Fionna. She's not that bad once you get to know her. And once she stops hitting on you..."

"I didn't know you guys hung out… What do you want from her anyways?" grumbled Fionna, kicking the air sullenly.

Marshall grinned slyly.

"Can't say. I'm bound by an unbreakable vow. She'll tell you herself when we get there."

The two remained silent for a while after that. Fionna sensed that Marshall was now lost in his own thoughts, so she contented herself with watching the blur of trees spin away below them. The air began to grow cold as they entered the Ice Kingdom. Marshall snapped back to the present as he felt Fionna's hands trembling against his. He peered down at her and cursed under his breath. She was shivering violently. The only thing keeping her teeth from chattering was the fact that her jaw was clenched so tightly. Marshall yanked her upwards, ignoring her yelp of surprise, and slipped one hand around her back and another under her legs. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed herself against him. He tried his best to ignore how sweet her hair smelled. He spotted the large, crystalline castle on the horizon just as a flake of snow rested gently on his nose. He glanced up at the gray cloud hovering over them, surprised he hadn't noticed it sooner. The snow fell heavier as they flew, and he had to stop himself from staring too long as it gathered in Fionna's golden hair, making it shine brighter than usual. He thought he heard her mumble something so he leaned in closer to hear.

"It's too cold for this nonsense…"

He smiled.

"It's all in the name of fashion. Haven't you ever heard beauty is pain? Or something like that.."

She scowled up and him and snapped, "Fashion's a load of candy glump, I'm cold. Can't you fly any faster?"

"Well if you're going to be rude I could just drop you again…"

She yelped and clung tighter to him.

"Okay, okay! Sorry… But seriously, how much longer till we get there?"

Marshall jerked his head to the side, rolling his eyes. Fionna turned her head in the direction he indicated and gasped in surprise. The dark castle was only a few meters away, and it loomed over them, casting its cold shadow across the snow-covered ground. Marshall landed gracefully on a nearby balcony and gently set Fionna down. He winked at her and stuck his head inside the castle.

"Yo Queen!"

There was a muffled shriek and a crash followed by a chorus of penguin quacks, which seemed to be coming from a doorway across the room. Fionna and Marshall glanced at each other uncertainly.

"Uh, is this a bad time? We can come back later if you-"

Suddenly, the door flew open and the Ice Queen appeared in an explosion of feathers and white hair.

"DING GLOBBIT I ALREADY TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT A SUBSCRIPTION I-"

She stopped short as she recognized the two people standing in front of her.

"Marshall! What have I told you about bringing the enemy into my castle? You can't just escort her up in my pad, now I have to freeze her and keep her prisoner here, now you see all this trouble I have to go through because of you?"

She rubbed her hands and held them up towards Fionna who drew her sword, her mouth set in a determined line.

"No, no, no, no one's getting frozen," said Marshall, stepping in between them, "I'm using that solid you owe me."

"Oh! Well as long as you didn't bring her here to kill me."

The Ice Queen's hair began to flap like a pair of great wings and she rose to the ceiling humming cheerfully.

"Oh, let me get you too some PB&B sandwiches. Or, uh… P double B! Yes that sounds swell!" Marshall grinned sheepishly at Fionna as the two followed the flying mad woman into what they assumed to be the kitchen.

"Grunta! Three P double B sandwiches please! And this time leave the fish out, you know mommy doesn't like fish." She turned to her guests smiling awkwardly. "I tell her every time but she never remembers, I don't think it's a difficult concept, just don't put the fish on it!" She laughed a little too loudly and sighed, suddenly very downtrodden, "Oh I'm so lonely…"

Fionna coughed awkwardly. Marshall cleared his throat uncertainly.

"So, uh, remember that thing? That thing that I'm bound by vampire law not to tell anyone about? That thing you do sometimes…"

The Ice queen's blank expression quickly melted into that of embarrassment.

"Oh I've no idea what you're talking about." She glanced around nervously and snatched a sandwich out of her penguin's flippers and shoved it into Marshall's mouth.

"Here, eat up, you're a growing boy you need your nourishment or whatever that is…" Laughing timidly, she turned to Fionna as Marshall hacked up the sandwich and whispered, "That kid's got a few lights off upstairs if you know what I mean." She raised her eyebrows expectantly while Fionna half grimaced, half smiled in response.

"Look Simone, I really need your help and you owe me that solid but I can't use it until you tell Fionna."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Screeched the old woman, sinking to her knees, "HOW COULD YOU? NOW SHE KNOWS THAT MY NAME IS SIMONE." The Ice Queen began to sob violently and Fionna awkwardly patted her back.

"Uh, it's okay, it's a really pretty name. You shouldn't be embarrassed about it."

The Ice Queen sniffed and peered up at her.

"You really think so?"

Fionna shrugged uncomfortably.

"Yeah, sure…"

Marshall hissed impatiently.

"Alright, hurry up and tell her, I've got a few more stops to make and my deadline's ten o' clock".

The Ice Queen nodded, slowly rising to her feet.

"Very well then, Fionna the human. You have to promise not to ever tell anyone about this. I couldn't bear it if people knew how lonely I was; so lonely that I would resort to such a disgusting act."

Fionna stared blankly back at the Ice Queen.

"Wait, you don't mean you-"

"Yes!" the Ice Queen exclaimed, cutting her off, "It's exactly what you're thinking!"

Fionna recoiled in disgust.

"EW dude, that's so gross!" She turned to Marshall, flustered.

"That's what you brought me here to do?! What the math is wrong with you guys, that's just-"

Marshall shook his head sheepishly, "No! It's not THAT, Glob no. Simone, tell her."

"ALRIGHT! YOU GOT ME! I AM A SEAMSTRESS!"

The old woman broke down into sobs on the kitchen floor. Fionna breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oooh, okay, that's cool bro."

"It's not cool!" Hissed the Ice Queen, "It's an old person hobby, I don't want all those yummy princes to think I've gone senile or some junk like that."

"Well, Marshall Lee makes dresses. And he's supposed to be king of the Nightosphere."

Marshall shrugged and tucked his hands in his pockets.

"I do how I do."

"See?" said Fionna, "Don't worry about other people thinking your hobbies are lame, just do how you do, and if dudes don't dig what you do, then don't date those doodoo headed dudes, dude."

The Ice Queen stared at Fionna, mouth slightly agape.

"That was the most stupidest thing I've ever heard. Wait here stupid, I'll get you some fabric. That is what you came here for right? My world renown ice fabric?"

Fionna huffed and folded her arms angrily as the Ice Queen floated into one of the numerous caves.

"What's her deal? I was just trying to be nice…"

Marshall sniggered.

"She's crazy and evil Fionna. She only really responds to negativity."

"That's glomp. What's so special about her stupid fabric anyways?"

"I'm glad you asked."

The Queen glided back in and tossed a clump of blue material at Marshall.

"My fabric is as light as a snowflake, as hard as ice, and as soft as a blanket of snow."

She stroked her own dress lovingly.

"Plus it keeps your pits cool when you're getting really freaky at parties, ha hA!" She cackled loudly and drifted back through the tunnel.

"Thanks!" Marshall yelled out. He slipped his hand around Fionna's waist, making her gasp in surprise, and flew out an open window.

"That took way longer than I thought. We still need to go to Lumpy Space and Hotdog Princess's pad."

Fionna glanced skeptically up at him.

"You sure this is a dress you're making?"

He shrugged nonchalantly

"More or less."


	4. UGLY Part 2

UGLY

"Keep looking, it should be around here somewhere."

Fionna pushed back her hair, which was now thick with sweat and dirt. The sudden change in climate from the Ice Kingdom to the Cotton Candy Forest had taken its toll on her. Everything was ridiculously hot. The sun beat down on them mercilessly. Even the candy-floss trees seemed to droop from the warmth. Exhausted from the constant searching, she slumped against a nearby tree, slowly sliding down into a sitting position.

"Marshall, we've been searching for hours. That frog could be anywhere by now, it's been weeks since we went to Lumpy Space."

She watched his back and, after a few moments, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He turned around and meandered over to her, twirling his umbrella in frustration. Sighing, he plopped down next to her and squeezed his eyes shut.

"You're right. There's no way we could find it again in such a short time frame. But there has to be some other way."

Fionna scrutinized his face while he thought. His eyebrows, which normally fell relaxed over his eyes, were furrowed in aggravation. The circles under his eyes were much darker than when they first appeared after his encounter with the Vampire Ring. She noticed that his hair also seemed much less poufy than she remembered. His skin was a bit off-color too. Or perhaps that was the thin sheen of sweat that covered his face. She couldn't recall him ever sweating before. Fionna placed her palm on his cheek curiously. He started at her touch, his eyes flickering open as she quickly drew her hand away. Yep, definitely sweat.

"Marshall, are you feeling okay?"

He pressed a hand to his forehead. Fionna thought she saw a look of horror cross his face, but it passed so quickly she supposed she must have imagined it. He grinned and slung his arm over her shoulder.

"I'm fine, just tired from all this searching. I don't know why I thought the frog would somehow still be here. Sorry for putting you through all that."

She looked skeptically at him for a few seconds but his smile was unfaltering. She sighed and shook her head.

"Okay if you say so. What did you need from Lumpy Space anyways?"

He stared at her in amazement.

"Lumps. Duh."

He stood up and stretched, ignoring the furious blush that had spread almost instantaneously across Fionna's face.

"Come on, we only have a few hours left. I can use a substitute I have back at my pad."

Turning, he offered her his free hand and began to float. She stood bolt upright and smacked it away, anger and embarrassment practically radiating off of her.

"THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LUMPS I ALREADY HAVE THANK YOU VERY MUCH"

He paused for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. He clutched his stomach, still guffawing as she swung her fist at him, barely missing as he easily dodged her. She opened her mouth to yell another furious retort by was abruptly cut off as Marshall took hold of her arm and slung her over his shoulder. She roared in anger and slammed her fists against his back as they flew up into the sky.

"Not those lumps, stupid," he called back to her. Her flailing ceased and after a few moments she squirmed back over his shoulder into his arms. Pleasantly surprised, he caught her and sighed as her familiar scent washed over him.

"What kind of lumps are we talking about then?" She grumbled, somewhat embarrassed at her outburst. Marshall chuckled.

"To make the skirt poof out. It would be much easier with space clouds but I have this stuff called cotton at home and I'm pretty sure I could make something out of that after we go to Hot Dog Princess's place."

She glanced up at him curiously.

"What's cotton?"

He gazed thoughtfully at her.

"It's sort of like cotton candy but you don't eat it. Trust me I've tried, it's really gross. You make clothes and blankets and stuff out of it. You're shirt's made of cotton you know."

She stared down at her shirt in amazement. They flew in silence for a while after that. Fionna was lost in thought of all the things she used that were made of this cotton nonsense. Marshall's mind drifted to other things.

Cotton. He could still vividly picture the soft white balls of fluff perched on tall stalks of green. He remembered the sweet, dry scent of dying grass, and how the sun used to feel so warm against his skin. In his mind he was a child again. He could feel his pulse flutter gently under his skin and cool sweat line his pores. Darkness had no hold on him and he felt laughter bubble up from somewhere deep inside of him as a warm breeze twisted through his hair. He ran into the field of cotton, relishing in the feel of brittle plants against his flesh. He pushed his grubby black hair out of his face and grasped a particularly large white ball. His eyes shone in wonder as he felt the clumps of seeds inside. Suddenly struck with an idea, he fell to his knees. The cool earth caressed his small legs as he pushed his hand into the dirt. He flung a handful of it away and, with a bit of effort, squeezed a single seed out of its soft cocoon. Grinning triumphantly, he placed it gently at the bottom of the small hole he had dug and pushed the dirt over it, smoothing out the surface of the earth until the only indication that he had ever been there was the color of the rich soil covering the hole in contrast with the dry ground around it. He watched the spot intently, waiting for a sign of green to reach out of the dirt. He watched for hours, and as the sun began to finally lose some of its light to the horizon, he heard footsteps approach him. A laughter like dry leaves and sweet pine met his ears as a pair of pale hands reached in front of him. In them was a grubby tin can labeled, "soup". He felt his smile pull at his cheeks as he was reminded of the monster inside his stomach. His mouth watered as the hands worked the top open and the scent of rust and salty liquid filled his nostrils. The beast roared eagerly as he lifted the can to his lips. Marshall felt a wave of hunger roll over him, making his stomach growl.

Thump.

His eyes snapped back open as his mind was dragged out of its dream-like state. Fear gripped him as he felt himself grow dizzy.

_"What's happening to me?" _he thought as his hands began to tremble. He looked around, recognizing the deathly situation. _"I have to get to the ground, or Fionna …" _He glanced down at her. She had drifted to sleep and was snoring gently. Somehow, she seemed much more fragile in this vulnerable state. He gulped as he began to lower them through the clouds, fighting the urge to lurch forward. He kept his eyes trained on the ground, trying to ignore the blackness creeping around the outskirts of his field of vision. He felt something wet slide down the side of his neck. His eyes widened in panic.

Thump.

He let out a small cry and squeezed Fionna to his chest to stifle the pain. They were under the cloud cover and were now coming to the tops of the trees. His limbs tingled lightly and he slowly felt himself losing consciousness.

"_Just a little farther," _He winced as he felt something heavy in his legs. He felt Fionna stir against him.

"_No no no, don't wake up, don't wake up!" _He screamed in his head as he helplessly watched her sleepy eyes open and find his.

Thump.

He cried out again and dropped the last few meters to the ground. He managed to turn so that Fionna would land on top of him, softening her fall as the cold earth caught them. He vaguely heard her voice as he let his energy flow out of him into the hard ground. As darkness grasped him, everything was cold once again.

The next thing he knew he was wrapped in blankets. He could feel them rustle softly around him as he fidgeted upon waking. He forced his eyes open and glanced around quickly. The room was dark but his demon eyes easily cut through the shadows. He recognized the earthy walls as one of the underground rooms beneath Hot Dog Princess's house. The room was small, consisting of only the bed he was sleeping on and a small table beside it. On the wall was a picture of some hunky hot dog guy. Marshall chuckled softly and then almost shat himself as he felt something move at his side. He sat bolt upright, ready to defend himself against whatever nefarious monster had taken up residence under his blankets. Hissing violently, he ripped the covers off the bed to reveal the beast, only to find a sleeping Fionna there instead. He exhaled in relief and gazed down at her, a strange feeling washing over him. He had no idea how she'd managed to get him here. He knew he appeared light but the souls he had devoured in his youth weighed him down considerably. A smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he saw her crystalline sword snuggled against her chest. She must have been guarding him as he slept. Her bunny hood had become hopelessly entangled in her golden hair, which spilled over her shoulders like liquid. He gazed at her, tracing the curves of her body with his eyes, entranced with this new perspective of her. He felt his throat tighten as he reached forward and tentatively pushed her bangs out of her face. Her skin was so warm and lovely, and he let his hand hover over her forehead longer than necessary. He imagined if his heart still worked it would be racing unbearably in his chest. Her lips hung slightly apart allowing her sweet scented breath to pass through them. Marshall tentatively pressed his index finger against them, marveling at their softness and warmth. A thought occurred to him, and he focused his cursed eyes on her, allowing him to see her soul fluttering delicately in her chest. It has been so long since he'd taken the time to look at one. It was beautiful and golden, as a hero's soul would be. Again he was struck with the contrast between them. He sighed and pulled his hand back, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. Her soul was something he would never touch. It was too pure, too good for the likes of someone like him. He began to float slowly upwards, so as not to disturb her, and replaced the blanket. Hovering just above her, he carefully opened her backpack and pulled out the blue fabric.

He could at least do this for her.

When Fionna finally woke up, she was alone. Her heart sank as she looked around the room for any sign of her friend. She had no idea how long she's been asleep. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the side of the bed to take a quick rest from standing guard. She stood and stretched, relishing the satisfying pull on her aching muscles. Marshall was a lot heavier than he looked, and after half dragging, half carrying him the rest of the way to HDP's house, she was completely and utterly worn out. Yawning, she reached for her backpack. He probably went home.

Suddenly, she was blown backwards onto the bed. A shower of dirt and rocks cascaded down on her, and she gasped and whipped her head up, squinting at the sudden burst of light. Before she realized what was happening she found herself flying through the ceiling and up into the sky. The setting sun cast a fiery glow across the land, bathing the trees and grass in red. Fionna suddenly became aware of an arm wrapped around her waist. She strained her neck to catch a glimpse of her captor's face. She grinned as she saw Marshall's dark eyes peering back at her.

"Is there a reason you're dressed like a ninja?"

He pulled down the lower half of his mask, revealing a playful smirk.

"I got sick of carrying that umbrella around. It was really cramping my style."

Fionna laughed, her heart fluttering excitedly in her chest.

"Where are we going anyways?"

She could feel the wind howling in her ears as it rushed by. They were flying very close to the ground, so their speed was evident. The trees and bushes rushed by them as Marshall maneuvered expertly through the forest.

"What?" He answered in surprise, "Fionna, come on. Gummy Balls isn't going to be too happy that you forgot his birthday."

Fionna gasped, realization flooding over her. She had completely forgotten about the party. Suddenly, everything that had happened that day came rushing back. Something was wrong with Marshall.

"Are you sure you're okay to fly?"

She could practically feel him rolling his eyes at her.

"I'm fine, _mom_, maybe if you weren't so lumping heavy…"

She elbowed his side and he snickered.

"Seriously though. What's going on with you?"

He was silent for a moment, and she took this as an invitation to continue.  
"Something weird is going on. You've fallen out of the sky twice now, you were under direct sunlight and didn't burn up, you were sweating earlier, it's like you're sick or something and I'm really worried."

They slowed considerably as the enormous walls marking the exterior of the Candy Kingdom came into view. Marshall set her down gently at the edge of the forest. For the first time she noticed what was in his other arm. She gasped as he unfolded the blue cloth.

"Marshall, how did you-"

His tender smile went unnoticed as her eyes devoured the dress.

"Hurry up and put it on, you're already late."

Lost for words, she took the gown carefully in her arms and marveled at it, their previous conversation long forgotten. Marshall turned around as she stepped behind a tree and pulled her clothes off. He could hear a nearby stream gurgling playfully over what he could only imagine were rocks worn down by the steady flow. The light from the sun had almost diminished, and was instead replaced by colorful floodlights beaming out over the Candy walls. The telltale party shrieks of the candy people accompanied by bad dubstep music echoed through Marshall's head, reminding him of the first time he went to a Gumball party.

"Okay. You're not allowed to laugh this time."

He turned around and froze. The strangest feeling gripped him as he gazed at her. The dying rays of the sun cut through the shadows and showered her in light. Her golden hair fell around her face and down her shoulders in a beautiful mess of waves and curls. The dress fit her perfectly. The blue sweetheart neckline was covered with a thin layer of white lace that came down to her bellybutton in the shape of a heart. The back was designed similarly, but instead of a heart, the lace ran down in a rectangle and was accompanied by a blue ribbon that criss-crossed its way down her spine, ending in a large bow. The skirt was plain in the front, for the most part. It poofed out at the waist, the tiers making it slightly resembled a cake. A trail of blue ruffles dipped in white followed the line of lace on the back and cascaded to her feet. He wondered if her eyes had always been such a bright blue.

He opened his mouth to speak but was immediately cut off.

Thump.

He cringed slightly at the pain in his chest.

"_Not this time."_

She took a step towards him, worry clouding her face.

. "Are you okay?"

He smiled and winked reassuringly.

"Never better. Come on, I'll fly you past security."

"Marshall, if you're not okay I'll-"

"BLEHBLAHBLHURHUR"

He waved his arms around to distract her.

"I don't want to hear it Fi, I'm absolutely fine. Now let's get you to this stinking party before it's over and all my hard work ends up being for nothing."

Taking her hands in his, he lifted her off the ground and floated gently over the wall and towards the castle. He heard her snigger, and he followed her gaze down to the two banana guards stationed at the gates who were currently trying to touch their toes.

"Do they really count as security?"


End file.
